Medication dispensing system method

ABSTRACT

A medication dispensing system and method utilizing a hollow ring applicator disposed on a therapist&#39;s finger for receiving medicated and non-medicated fluids, lotions and gels from a reservoir to be disposed onto a patient by manual contact by the therapist is disclosed.

This application is a continuation of my earlier filed application underthe same title, Ser. No. 09/002,425 filed Jan. 2, 1998, now U.S. Pat.No. 6,053,898.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention resides in the field of fluid dispensers and moreparticularly relates to a medical treatment system where medicated andnon-medicated fluids, lotions, gels and the like are delivered through aring worn on a therapist's finger for application on a patient.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Traditionally, clinicians, physical therapists and medical personnelhave applied lotion to a patient by squeezing an appropriate amount froma container onto their hand and then have applied such lotion manuallydirectly to the patient's skin. Lotion dispensing containers, many ofwhich work by compressing the container to squeeze out the lotion, areknown in the prior art. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,194 toHippely et al which describes a flexible dispenser which can be wornaround a person's neck; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,159 to Grant whichdiscloses a meniscus-shaped container. One disadvantage of these typesof containers is that a therapist must go back and forth betweenobtaining lotion from the container and applying it to the patient,wasting valuable time. There is also the potential for contamination ifthe therapist's hands carry germs from the patient to the container orif excess lotion originally removed from the container is replaced backin the container when not needed.

Other types of lotion-dispensing devices often include a containerhousing the lotion with some type of applicator at the end, where theapplicator contacts a patient's skin after becoming saturated withlotion. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,382 to Hull et al and U.S.Pat. No. 4,889,441 to Tice. With these types of devices the therapisthas difficulty controlling the delivery of lotion to the patient's skinand must stop the therapy, such as a massage, to apply the lotion.

Hand-held spray devices often appear in children's toys. U.S. Pat. No.5,303,847 to Cottone discloses a water toy worn on a user's hand whichincludes a targeting finger sheath having a discharge nozzle forspraying water. An actuating finger sheath worn on another fingercontrols operation of an electric motor and water pump which pumps watercontained in a housing through a pipe and out the nozzle on thetargeting finger sheath. U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,790 describes a water glovetoy which expels water from an area near the wrist by pressing on acompressible bulb at the palm portion of the glove.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the medication delivery system of this invention toprovide a constant flow of a fluid, such as a medicated lotion or gel,through a ring applicator on the therapist's hand for an efficient andcontrolled dispensing of the medication for the therapist to spread ontothe skin of a patient, as desired.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a medicationdelivery system where the medication is released through a ringapplicator in doses controlled by a therapist.

It is a yet further object of this invention to provide a medicationdelivery system for efficiently dispensing a medication in a timesavingmanner

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a dispenserand applicator which are disposable after use by each patient so thatthe same container of lotion can be utilized in the care of manypatient's without fear of cross-contamination.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. I illustrates a perspective view of the hand of a therapistutilizing one embodiment of the medication delivery system of thisinvention to apply fluid medication to a patient.

FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged perspective view of a therapist's handwith ring applicator worn on a finger.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the medication deliverysystem shown in FIG. 2 including a wrist strap and an alternateembodiment of the ring applicator.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective front view of the ring applicator shownin FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of themedication delivery system of this invention showing a delivery tubepositioned to the left of the therapist's hand.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 5wherein the delivery tube has been bent to deliver a medication to theright of the therapist's hand.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of aring applicator to receive and deliver a medication.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of themedication delivery system of this invention. Seen in this view is thehand of therapist 10 or other health care professional, hereinafterreferred to as therapist applying a fluid, lotion, gel or medication,hereinafter all referred to as medication, to patient 12. Therapist 10is wearing on one finger a ring applicator 22 through which themedication is dispensed. A stand 14 supports medication reservoir 16which contains the medication in the form of a lotion, gel or otherfluid. Delivery tube 20 runs from reservoir 16 to ring applicator 22,carrying the medication from the reservoir to ring applicator 22. Tube20 can be either flexible or rigid with bendable sections. Due to thepumping action hereinafter described, the medication only moves in onedirection through delivery tube 20, thereby preventing any germs fromtraveling back up the tube and thereby avoiding any cross-contamination.

The therapist can control the flow of medication being dispensed throughthe ring applicator to patient 12 by applying pressure to foot pump 19or by using other well-known non-manual actuation means. Pump line 21runs from foot pump 19 to pump 18, thereby actuating pump 18 to pumpmedication through delivery tube 20. The foot pump illustrated in FIG. Irequires no electricity but could alternatively be replaced by anelectric pump controlled by various well known means of actuation. Pump18 can be any suitable commercially available pump.

FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged view of ring applicator 22 worn on atherapist's hand 24. Ring applicator 22 is a generally C-shaped, hollowstructure having a first side 30 and second side 32 and at least oneaperture 26 defined therein through which the medication exits. In apreferred embodiment hollow ring applicator 22 can communicate throughtube segment 48 connected in fluid-tight relationship to the end ofdelivery tube 20. Ring applicator 22 extends in a semicircular fashionaround the sides of the finger on which it is worn. First side 30 andsecond side 32 of ring applicator 22 in a preferred embodiment can havemultiple apertures 26 defined at its ends 31 and 33 through whichapertures is released medication to the bottom of hand 24 or onto thepatient for spreading over a patient's skin. Ring applicator 22 can beheld on the therapist's finger by retention strap 38 which connectsfirst side 30 to second side 32 or by equivalent attachment means. Ringapplicator 22 and the various parts thereof including in one embodimenttube segment 48 can be disposable to ensure no cross-contaminationoccurs during treatment of different patients. The ring applicator andtube segment can be made of plastic and in an one embodiment can beproduced as a single molded disposable unit. As seen in this view, wriststrap 42 is secured around the clinician's wrist and tube 20 is held byhook 44. Wrist strap 42 reduces possible injury to the therapist'sfinger, as any abrupt jerk of delivery tube 20 will be directed to thewearer's wrist instead of to finger 36.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the medication deliverysystem of this invention being an alternate embodiment of the ringapplicator which in this view is being worn on the therapist's indexfinger. Instead of being semicircular in shape, band 38 extends entirelyaround finger 36. Applicator extension 52, having first end 54 andsecond end 50, is hollow and at its first end is of a size to fit snuglyaround the end of delivery tube 20 in fluid-tight relationship. At thesecond end of applicator extension 52 has a flattened area 41 having anopening 40 therein through which the medication is dispensed. Applicatorextension 52 can be attached to band 38 by glue or equivalent attachmentmeans. The applicator extension and the band can also be molded as aone-piece unit which can be easily disposed of after use on eachpatient. As seen in FIG. 3 applicator extension 52 extends over the sideof finger 36 that is adjacent to the thumb. Flattened area 41 does notinterfere with movement of the therapist's fingers during manualtherapy. The applicator extension can also be comfortably positioned tothe outside of the little finger as well as between the finger's of thetherapist.

In an alternate embodiment seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 a rigid yetpositionable delivery tube 60, which maintains whatever shape to whichit is manually bent, is utilized to deliver the medication. As seen inFIG. 5, positionable delivery tube 60 has been bent to dispensemedication from its medication dispensing end to area 68 to the left ofthe therapist's hand 72. Positionable delivery tube 60 is securelyattached by clips 64 to wrist cuff 62 which holds one end ofpositionable delivery tube 60 securely in place. Wrist cuff 62 must betightened on the therapist's wrist an amount sufficient to hold cuff 62in place and prevent its rotation. Attached to the medication receivingend of positionable delivery tube 60 is feed line 66 which extends up tothe medication reservoir, not seen in this view.

FIG. 7 illustrates yet a further embodiment of the medication deliverysystem of this invention with flexible ring applicator 82 which can bemade of flexible material such as plastic or rubber. Flexible ringapplicator 82 has positioned at its inner circumference a curved springmember 84 which fits snugly around the therapist's finger. Spring member84 can be made of spring metal or equivalent and can be within oradhered to the inner wall of flexible ring applicator 82. Whenmedication enters ring chamber 86 of flexible ring applicator 82, themedication causes the flexible material to expand, such as to theposition seen in FIG. 7, to allow passage of the medication from pipe 80to pass out openings 88 and 90 onto the patient. When medication is notpassing through pipe 80, the flexible material of the flexible ringapplicator collapses inward, and the sides of the applicator flatten sothat it takes up much less space between the therapist's fingers and isthus more comfortable for the therapist to wear, expanding only whenmedication is pumped therethrough.

Although the present invention has been described with reference toparticular embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat variations and modifications can be substituted therefor withoutdeparting from the principles and spirit of the invention.

I claim:
 1. A method of therapeutic treatment for delivering amedication for application to the skin of a patient by a therapist,comprising the steps of: providing a reservoir of medication; attachinga hollow ring applicator having at least one aperture defined therein toa finger of the therapist; providing means for receiving and directingsaid medication through said ring applicator; actuating a pumping meansfor causing a flow of medication from said reservoir containing saidmedication through a delivery tube to said ring applicator; positioningsaid delivery tube in a location not positioned on the user's palm oradjacent finger area; directing said medication through at least oneaperture defined in said ring applicator to the finger and palm area ofthe therapist's hand; selecting a body part of the patient on which toapply said medication; manually spreading said medication passed throughsaid aperture over the patient's skin on the body part; controlling saidpumping means for delivering a desired amount of mediation to the bodypart of the patient; and treating the patient by manual therapy withsaid medication.
 2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:avoiding interpositioning of any structure on the therapist's fingersand palm between the therapist's hand and the patient's body part, whichstructure might interfere with the therapist's spreading of medicationon the patient's body part.
 3. The method of claim 2 further includingthe steps of: deactuating said pumping means; and collapsing said ringapplicator when said pumping means are not actuated.